Viruses and Malicious Software

It sure seems like we have been under attach lately. Lots of people are getting hit by the bogus antivirus software and other trojans that are very difficult to remove.

Where are they coming from and how are they getting into systems?

Watchguard (the firewall router company) recently had a partner event that reviewed the sources.

Many are coming from holes (un-patched software holes) in other programs like Adobe Reader, JAVA, Flash Player and more.

To best protect yourself it is now extremely important for you to patch not only Windows...but all of these other subsystems.

And because all of these programs have hooks into web browsers like Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, etc...you can trigger the attackers ability to get into your system by merely looking at web pages that seem to be reputable.

This is a very tough problem to attack. Check out what the professionals have to say: http://www.watchguard.com/predictions/index.asp

Stay tuned - ACE will try and keep you as up to date as possible.

Microsoft Online Services - CLOUD SERVICES

Microsoft has been making a huge investment in hardware just east of the mountains near Quincy, WA. They built only a few of these data centers for the entire US. The one in WA State covers all service west of the Mississippi River and is in our back yard! The Microsoft offerings are called Business Productivity Online Services (BPOS), Exchange Online, Sharepoint Online, Live Meeting and Communicator.

What is cloud computing? Some define it as online documents, SPAM filtering for your email, sales and document sharing tools. Now is the time to try out these products and make cost effective use of your resources. Call or email today.

NOTE: the BBC was recently allowed access into this Microsoft facility and shot a 3-minute video you can see online. Click here to watch.

Windows 7 - Lunch and Learn

If you are in the Bellevue, WA area and have time for a free lunch on December 9 or 10, 2009. Drop me an email: james@ace2100.com

I will be teaming with Comcast and having a presentation on Windows 7:Upgrade the Desktop...things you need to know as a business professional. Remember that Windows XP was released in October 2001 - eight years ago last month! It has served us well, but new technology is right around the corner and you will need Windows 7 to make it run fast on new systems.

Come get some education and a free lunch.

Call to RSVP - 206-5551-7000

New Versions, New Releases, New Software

It appears that now that summer is over, all of the programmers are back to work and on target to release new products, intermediate version releases and whole new operating systems. There is a lot of exciting news to release and I will have a major post at the end of the month.

One new thing that you may have heard about is the new Windows release of the operating system that will replace Vista called 'Windows 7'. It is on target and committed for October 22 to be released to the public. There is a lot of excitement and apprehension all tied together in this upgrade. In addition to the Windows Desktop Update there is a Server Update and very shortly after that a new version of MS Office (Office 2010) that is just on its heels. Microsoft is working very hard to release some new products that will increase worker productivity. I just got a first glimpse demo at the Microsoft campus yesterday by the product manager. It looks good!

Fall 2009, even though we are in tough economic times, looks to be a very busy time in the computer world.

Let ACE help you navigate these new changes and make cost effective implementations of new technology as it makes sense for your business. Please call or email me any quesitons.

Changes with AVG AntiVirus in March 2009

As your computer support professional, I keep track of important software that I recommend and install for all my clients. My preferred anti-virus solution has been and still is AVG Anti-Virus. In the transition from 2008 to 2009 AVG has been working very hard to stay ahead of all of the "bad guys" by releasing lots of patches and updates. (Transition from 7.5 to 8.0 and now 8.0 to 8.5). Some of these transitions have been smooth but some have required multiple reboots to upgrade properly.

Anti-virus protection is a critical component to be managed on your computers. Fast and efficient systems yield better service and more satisfied customers.

News from AVG: Version 7.5 Discontinued.

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Support for the AVG 7.5 Free product will end February 25, 2009.

Only Extension: Full support for all paid AVG 7.5 products has been extended until April 30, 2009. This support covers all home and business solutions (except AVG Anti-Spyware) and includes all updates and 24/7 technical and sales support.

All ACE business customers should be using the paid version at the office and on office PC's and laptops. Those legally using the free version on home PC's and laptops will need to upgrade.


AVG Version 8.5 to release March 2, 2009.

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My reason in alerting you to this update is to make sure you are aware of the upgrade that will be coming and schedule some time to make an orderly transition at your business. Give me a call if you have any questions or would like to schedule some upgrade time. As always with AVG...they do support older versions for many months after releases of new versions. To get a trial of the new version contact me and get a new free license key which I will convert for you from your original active license

Create New Business or Reduce Expenses? Why not both...

With economic changes rapidly happening and a slowdown forecast coming, how can your business maximize use of your precious computer technology budget?

Here are five things you can implement now at relatively low costs to reduce expenses or help increase sales and thus bottom line profitability:

1. Email Marketing
   
   It is proven historically correct or accurate that people who bought from you are most likely to buy again. You probably already have email addresses for your best customers and they would probably enjoy hearing about new products and services that you offer. Ace Internet can help you set up a way to communicate with up to 500 people a month for only $15. It is a web based tool and takes less than 15 minutes to set up and send your first emails. Give it a try today!
   
   
2. SharePoint or Web WorkPlaces
   
   If you are running a Microsoft Small Business Server or use Comcast Business Services then you already have everything you need to start groups of people (either inside or outside of your company) to collaborate, work on large Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations or other files. Right now, almost all email systems have limitations on files sizes. SharePoint puts you in control of some of these limitations and gets salespeople collaborating with customers. Call ACE Internet for an online demo.
   
   
3. "SaaS" or Software as a Service
   
   Ever day there are probably dozens or hundreds of new web based applications being developed in cyberspace. Microsoft is leveraging its LIVE platform for chat, presence, document sharing and more. Google has similar offerings and there are many others (Salesforce.com, etc.) If you have a specific sales tool you are using or a process that helps you sell...contact Ace Internet and see what other options exist that are web based and easy to use.
   
   
4. Smart Phone Technology
   
   The iPhone, the Blackberry, Microsoft Windows Mobile devices...the price on all of this technology has come way down and the power and functionality keeps going up. We are not at the point where you can ditch your laptop and some of your traveling workers need access when they can not use a laptop. Thus comes in smart phone technology. Using phones that are just a little bit smarter, key people can access calendars, contacts and emails that will SYNC with their desktop. If you already have a Microsoft Small Business Server, you ned to buy no other software. Just have Ace Internet adjust your firewall and activate services and you can start selling and communicating more with your customers.
   
   
5. Remote Workers
   
   In the past, having access to your files or your office desktop when you are at home or on the road was a luxury. Today it is almost a requirement but not just for the boss. Bringing on a part time worker or allowing tele-commuting is now far easier to manage. It is very fast to get someone online and selling or servicing your customers while he or she is off site. Ace Internet has several low cost and easy to deploy options...several of which require NO additional hardware or software purchases. Best of all, these solutions have NO recurring fees. Once set up, you just start working and managing projects and customers. Call Ace Internet to see how easy it is to try.
   

Bad guys, Bogus Software and Server Updates

It seems that the pace of trouble by being online changes almost as fast as the benefits of being online. October was a tough month for new troubles and I wanted to highlight just a few of them for you. First of all, a new round of bogus software from seemingly legitimate sources is cropping up. Several bad guys have released programs that mimic or outright COPY the names and logos of legitimate businesses. The old term for this was phishing. But this new round of malicious software gets installed on your PC or server with a Microsoft logo and makes you believe that you need to go to a web site and BUY something to fix the problem that it found. The crazy thing is that the bogus Microsoft software is actually written by a bad guy and is trying to trick you into paying to remove the problem they installed! Be very careful when downloading and installing new software. Also, be aware of new programs that suddenly appear on your PC.

Along similar lines, Microsoft released a new warning for servers to security patch systems. (See http://www.microsoft.com/security/default.mspx and the October 23 release.) Many of my clients have me regularly on site and remote accessing sites to patch systems. If you have not heard from ACE this month, give us a call.

The real key to keeping all of your PC's and laptops secure in addition to secure servers will take a few steps. Number one is maintaining your firewall at a good secure level. Number two is maintaining your anti-virus and anti-spyware software at fully patched levels and checking their scan results regularly. The next step is to run your Windows Updates at least monthly and when you receive notifications from ACE or Microsoft to update. And one of the last things to regularly maintain is a keen eye on your systems for any irregular or suspicious behaviour.

Between keeing your systems protected and looking for potential troubles and being vigilant, you can be ahead of troubles before they get into your systems!